Vandy, Houston face off in BBVA Compass Bowl

December 10, 2013|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

NCAAF Team Report - Vanderbilt - INSIDE SLANT

There was an element of disappointment for both Vanderbilt and Houston when each learned this weekend that it was picked for the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., but truth be told, both teams at various points in the season would have probably been happy just to know they would make a bowl at all this season.

Vanderbilt, coming off a 9-4 season that saw it ranked in both major polls, was hoping for bigger things after it ended this season 8-4. But the season went horribly wrong before it even started, as five key players -- including wide receiver Chris Boyd, a preseason All-Southeastern Conference candidate -- were implicated in June rape scandal. The first four were dismissed, as was Boyd, whose involvement was only as an accessory after-the-fact. The team started sluggishly at 3-3 before winning five of its last six, which included an upset of Georgia.

After the way the season ended, Vandy hoped for the Gator Bowl, perhaps even the Chick-fil-a Bowl in a dream scenario, and realistically, the Liberty Bowl. Instead, the first two bowls opted for higher-profile teams, and the Liberty Bowl passed on Vandy to take 6-6 Mississippi State.

Houston (8-4), meanwhile, was hoping to win the American Athletic Conference in the league's debut year after a 5-0 start that saw the Cougars getting Top 25 votes. This was a bit of a surprise, given that Houston was picked in the lower half of the AAC by most -- and that was before UH lost preseason all-conference running back Charles Sims to an unexpected summer transfer to West Virginia.

Then began the heartbreak phase of the season -- close losses to BYU, Central Florida, Louisville and Cincinnati, all teams that are or were at one point ranked -- with wins at Rutgers and vs. South Florida in between. Finally, the Cougars ended the year on a high note, slamming SMU by a 34-0 count on Nov. 29.

"Vanderbilt has had an outstanding season and I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Franklin and his staff. Playing at Legion Field will provide a great atmosphere for our fans," Houston coach Tony Levine said on Sunday.

Still, there's one silver lining for the Commodores: they finally get a chance to play a bowl game outside of their home state. VU's last three bowl appearances have been the Music City Bowl (2008) in its hometown, the Liberty Bowl (2011) in Memphis, and back to the Music City last year. Vandy won both games in its home city (Boston College, N.C. State) while losing the Memphis game (Cincinnati).

Ironically, the last time VU played an out-of-state bowl game also came in Birmingham. That was 1982, when the Commodores fell 36-28 to Air Force.

Like last year, when VU went to its bowl game on a six-game winning streak, the Commodores go to Birmingham with a four-game streak.

Houston's last bowl appearance was in 2011, when it beat Penn State in the TicketCity.com Bowl (now the Heart of Dallas Bowl) by a 30-14 score to cap a 13-1 season.

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NCAAF Team Report - Vanderbilt - NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

--Vanderbilt QB Austyn Carta-Samuels, who was on crutches at Sunday's bowl ceremony, will need to be at the top of his game. The senior has been playing through an undisclosed leg injury that hampers his movement, had a nice year -- 68.7 percent completion rate, 8.1 yards per throw -- but was also susceptible to one or two awful throws a game. Carta-Samuels was picked nine times, and two were returned for touchdowns. In that respect, the Cougars, who ranked second in America with 23 picks, are a dangerous match-up for VU.

--Vanderbilt RB Jerron Seymour (627 yards, 4.4 per carry) represents Vandy's best threat in the running game -- if he's healthy. Seymour warmed up for the finale vs. Wake Forest, but never played.

--Vanderbilt S Kenny Ladler was named first team All-SEC by the Associated Press after having a hand in 10 turnovers -- five interceptions and five forced fumbles. Many of Vandy's wins coincided with advantages in turnover margin, making Ladler a key.

--Houston QB John O'Korn had a great freshman year, completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 7.24 yards per throw. However, mobile quarterbacks give Vandy a lot more trouble than pocket passers, and O'Korn (0.9 ypc) is the latter.

--Houston S Adrian McDonald (five picks, one fumble recovery) is Ladler's Cougar equivalent, and Carta-Samuels will have to do a better job looking off receivers, or he could get burned by the sophomore.

--Houston CB Zach McMillan tied for second on the team with four picks, and could get the challenge of covering Vandy's Jordan Matthews, the SEC's all-time leading receiver.

BOWL HISTORY: Houston is 9-11-1, while Vanderbilt is 3-2-1. The teams have never met.